The employee of a gold trader was arrested Sunday for allegedly stealing 7.5 kilo of gold worth Rs. 2.24 crore, and cooking up a false story. Accused Manoharsingh Jodha was on his way to Mumbai from Hyderabad by bus on May 30, carrying the gold to be delivered to his employer, the police said.

Upon reaching Mumbai, Jodha allegedly told his employer that a fellow passenger on the bus had offered him a spiked drink and stole the gold when he became unconscious. According to what he told his employer, Jodha realised that the gold was gone once he alighted from the bus at Kandivli, the police said. The employer had then registered a complaint of theft at the Samta Nagar police station.

A few days later, however, the employer could not locate Jodha, who went incommunicado. He then told the police about his suspicions of Jodha being involved in the theft. The police formed three teams to look for Jodha in Mumbai, Hyderabad and at his native village in Rajasthan.

On Sunday, they nabbed Jodha and his accomplice Narayansingh Rathod in Borivli.Dilip Yadav, senior inspector, Samta Nagar police station, said they had recovered 6.3 kg of the stolen gold worth Rs 1.9 crore from the two. ENS